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shanny1366's review against another edition
2.0
The whole time I was reading this book, I felt mildly uncomfortable at the names of all of the characters. Do we really have to iterate in every line that they are black? Also, is the name Sambo really a good choice? And why is this little black boy running around in India? I was not familiar with the story or its history until I read the pages in the very back of the book.
The answer to all of my questions is that this story was originally written in the 1800s by a white woman, who apparently didn't know (or care) that not all dark-skinned people are the same. The note says that the previous illustrations were all incredibly racist (no big surprise there, considering the time period).
The illustrations in this edition are absolutely gorgeous, and I understand that this is an attempt to take back the story from its racist past. However, I do still feel that this story is problematic, and would only encourage using it if you are ready to have a heavy discussion about the history of racism, colonialism, and stereotyping.
The answer to all of my questions is that this story was originally written in the 1800s by a white woman, who apparently didn't know (or care) that not all dark-skinned people are the same. The note says that the previous illustrations were all incredibly racist (no big surprise there, considering the time period).
The illustrations in this edition are absolutely gorgeous, and I understand that this is an attempt to take back the story from its racist past. However, I do still feel that this story is problematic, and would only encourage using it if you are ready to have a heavy discussion about the history of racism, colonialism, and stereotyping.
lagobond's review against another edition
5.0
This book is a little ray of sunshine. Yes I'm aware of [b:The Story of Little Black Sambo|146665|The Story of Little Black Sambo|Helen Bannerman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347234741l/146665._SX50_.jpg|870803]'s racist history. For sure, those earlier editions need to not be in children's lives except to teach about racism. Now I don't know how this new edition with its new illustrations would be received by people from India, perhaps it too is racist? But since I can't know the answer to that, all I can judge this new edition by is my own perception of it, and I believe that the pictures were drawn with love, not with condescension or a racist attitude. I also believe that the story itself was written with love for children. I adore "The Story of Little Babaji" because it makes me smile. That said, if someone from India told me that this book is insulting, I would definitely reconsider my position.
This story is filled with familial love, resourcefulness in the face of adversity, plenty of whimsy, and gentle triumph. The language flows beautifully and is made for reading out loud to gleeful little ones. The illustrations are so gorgeous that I've added all of [a:Fred Marcellino|284545|Fred Marcellino|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1615912431p2/284545.jpg]'s other books to my TBR. There's just enough detail and color to evoke warm, happy feelings, without cluttering the pages. The characters' body language and facial expressions are marvelous. The proud, goofy, cross-eyed tigers are a masterpiece. The small hardcover is pleasant to pick up and hold, and the green crepe paper is a fabulous touch. I would happily read this to little kids.
This story is filled with familial love, resourcefulness in the face of adversity, plenty of whimsy, and gentle triumph. The language flows beautifully and is made for reading out loud to gleeful little ones. The illustrations are so gorgeous that I've added all of [a:Fred Marcellino|284545|Fred Marcellino|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1615912431p2/284545.jpg]'s other books to my TBR. There's just enough detail and color to evoke warm, happy feelings, without cluttering the pages. The characters' body language and facial expressions are marvelous. The proud, goofy, cross-eyed tigers are a masterpiece. The small hardcover is pleasant to pick up and hold, and the green crepe paper is a fabulous touch. I would happily read this to little kids.
heisereads's review against another edition
1.0
Read for MLIS grad class on multicultural children's literature looking at stereotyping and (mis-)representation.
pamelajobrownlee's review against another edition
5.0
Kept the sweetness of the original story, while making it actually more authentic and less problematic. Well done.
libraryrobin's review against another edition
3.0
Not the same story I read as a child. I doubt that any library lends the one I'm looking for, it may have been a Golden Book. I never thought of the story as disparaging, I just liked when the tigers turned into butter.
libraryrobin's review against another edition
5.0
It had me at Babaji. This book contains many of the same story elements that I remember from my childhood: a smart little boy meets tigers, they run around a tree as he hides, they turn into butter and he eats it on his pancakes. In a great oral tradition, my grandmother told me the Little Black Sambo version this story. I don't think we had a printed version but I absolutely love the illustrations in this book.
booksenvogue's review against another edition
1.0
I read this book for my Children’s Literature Class. Per the Guidelines for Evaluating Diversity in Children's Books, below are my notes:
Title: The Story of Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman
Accurate representation of cultural specifics: No countries of origin are specifically named within the book. I determined the setting by the mention of a jungle and a tiger. Through my research, I discovered that Bengal tigers live in tropical rainforests (jungles) in Southern and Southeastern Asia. This tiger species' habitat resides in Bangladesh (India), Nepal (Bhutan), Myanmar, and southern Tibet. The story also mentions the protagonist shopping at a "bazaar" which isn't typically a name for a marketplace in the U.S. Yet, the dress style illustrated in the book best represents the Reconstruction Era of the impoverished servant class in American rather than India's British influenced attire. No particular culture is identified.
Avoidance of stereotypes: The stereotype of a sewing and cooking mother figure does not show diversity in gender roles. Additionally, with the head wrap scarf, and apron, she appears early like the sterotypical “mammy”. All of the characters' illustration of very dark skin, contrasting white bulging eyes, exaggerated red mouths, and broad noses perpetuate Black people's dominant racial caricatures in America during the Jim Crow era. Given the lack of context, this book also perpetuates Black child's stereotypes often depicted outdoors accepting or inciting violence.
Achievement: The lead protagonist displayed intelligence and resourcefulness in escaping the tigers and recovering his clothes.
Author/Illustrator: The author is Scottish, and the original illustrator was not identified yet assumingely not from the culture depicted as well. As a wife of an Indian Medical Service officer, it is assumed but unknown if the author conducted sufficient research regarding the intended culture's portrayal.
Copyright Date: This title was first written in 1899, with the only authorized American Ed edition published on January 21, 1923.
Sensibility: The book does not portray a struggle between a minority character and a dominant culture.
Language: Given the lack of cultural context, the names were racially offensive. The names of the characters were established anti-Black epithets regionally and of the time in America. Additionally, the protagonist's name is similar to a derogatory connotation in India. The title is also an issue in India, where colorism is rampant and skin lighting/ bleaching is of the standards of beauty. Darker-skinned Indians, face discrimination at work, at school — even in love. Even though the adjective was meant to describe complexion rather than identify, “the concept of Blacks for people is tied to the enslavement of Africans in the Americas and subjugation of Africans on the African continent by European slavers and colonizers. In short, a “Black” is a detribalized African. A Negro is a black slave or savage. Black is a soft word for Negro” (Marie & Coelho, 2019). Ultimately, “India’s old problems with colorism has a probably non-deliberate but noticeable nonetheless relationship with the caste system (highest castes were and in fact still are genetically distinct from the lowest castes, and they simply happened to have a higher frequency of genes for skin depigmentation)” (Marie & Coelho, 2019).
This was my first time reading this story. Of all the books I read as a child, this was not one of them. In writing this post, I mentioned the title to my mother and she became extremely aggitated in talking about her experience reading it. In reading it myself, the story seems innocent, but combined with the lack of context, offensive illustrations and knowledge on the history of the racists terms, I can understand my mother’s distress and the facts that would make this book problemmatic. While it is unknown if the author was aware of the problems the illustration would cause, surly moving forward publishers can elect sensitivity readers to ensure a children’s book doesn’t inflict more harm than entertainment or education.
-Kat
References:
Bannerman, H. (1900). The story of little black Sambo. New York: F. A. Stokes.
Bannerman, H. [YTV]. (2020, January 31). The Story of Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/9GUiTbpeTjQ
Bogle, D. (1994). Toms, coons, mulattoes, mammies, and bucks: An interpretive history of Blacks in American films (New 3rd ed.). New York, NY: Continuum.
Marie, F. & Coelho, Y. (2019). Is "black" considered derogatory in India. Retrieved from
https://www.quora.com/When-I-referred-to-an-Indian-colleague-as-a-black-man-he-became-upset-even-though-his-skin-color-is-much-darker-than-that-of-most-African-Americans-Is-black-considered-derogatory-in-India?encoded_access_token=eab7fc69288940ab862574f1eabdbca0
Title: The Story of Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman
Accurate representation of cultural specifics: No countries of origin are specifically named within the book. I determined the setting by the mention of a jungle and a tiger. Through my research, I discovered that Bengal tigers live in tropical rainforests (jungles) in Southern and Southeastern Asia. This tiger species' habitat resides in Bangladesh (India), Nepal (Bhutan), Myanmar, and southern Tibet. The story also mentions the protagonist shopping at a "bazaar" which isn't typically a name for a marketplace in the U.S. Yet, the dress style illustrated in the book best represents the Reconstruction Era of the impoverished servant class in American rather than India's British influenced attire. No particular culture is identified.
Avoidance of stereotypes: The stereotype of a sewing and cooking mother figure does not show diversity in gender roles. Additionally, with the head wrap scarf, and apron, she appears early like the sterotypical “mammy”. All of the characters' illustration of very dark skin, contrasting white bulging eyes, exaggerated red mouths, and broad noses perpetuate Black people's dominant racial caricatures in America during the Jim Crow era. Given the lack of context, this book also perpetuates Black child's stereotypes often depicted outdoors accepting or inciting violence.
Achievement: The lead protagonist displayed intelligence and resourcefulness in escaping the tigers and recovering his clothes.
Author/Illustrator: The author is Scottish, and the original illustrator was not identified yet assumingely not from the culture depicted as well. As a wife of an Indian Medical Service officer, it is assumed but unknown if the author conducted sufficient research regarding the intended culture's portrayal.
Copyright Date: This title was first written in 1899, with the only authorized American Ed edition published on January 21, 1923.
Sensibility: The book does not portray a struggle between a minority character and a dominant culture.
Language: Given the lack of cultural context, the names were racially offensive. The names of the characters were established anti-Black epithets regionally and of the time in America. Additionally, the protagonist's name is similar to a derogatory connotation in India. The title is also an issue in India, where colorism is rampant and skin lighting/ bleaching is of the standards of beauty. Darker-skinned Indians, face discrimination at work, at school — even in love. Even though the adjective was meant to describe complexion rather than identify, “the concept of Blacks for people is tied to the enslavement of Africans in the Americas and subjugation of Africans on the African continent by European slavers and colonizers. In short, a “Black” is a detribalized African. A Negro is a black slave or savage. Black is a soft word for Negro” (Marie & Coelho, 2019). Ultimately, “India’s old problems with colorism has a probably non-deliberate but noticeable nonetheless relationship with the caste system (highest castes were and in fact still are genetically distinct from the lowest castes, and they simply happened to have a higher frequency of genes for skin depigmentation)” (Marie & Coelho, 2019).
This was my first time reading this story. Of all the books I read as a child, this was not one of them. In writing this post, I mentioned the title to my mother and she became extremely aggitated in talking about her experience reading it. In reading it myself, the story seems innocent, but combined with the lack of context, offensive illustrations and knowledge on the history of the racists terms, I can understand my mother’s distress and the facts that would make this book problemmatic. While it is unknown if the author was aware of the problems the illustration would cause, surly moving forward publishers can elect sensitivity readers to ensure a children’s book doesn’t inflict more harm than entertainment or education.
-Kat
References:
Bannerman, H. (1900). The story of little black Sambo. New York: F. A. Stokes.
Bannerman, H. [YTV]. (2020, January 31). The Story of Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/9GUiTbpeTjQ
Bogle, D. (1994). Toms, coons, mulattoes, mammies, and bucks: An interpretive history of Blacks in American films (New 3rd ed.). New York, NY: Continuum.
Marie, F. & Coelho, Y. (2019). Is "black" considered derogatory in India. Retrieved from
https://www.quora.com/When-I-referred-to-an-Indian-colleague-as-a-black-man-he-became-upset-even-though-his-skin-color-is-much-darker-than-that-of-most-African-Americans-Is-black-considered-derogatory-in-India?encoded_access_token=eab7fc69288940ab862574f1eabdbca0
larsinio's review against another edition
3.0
fabulous tigers. ghi. pancakes. racism. whats not to love?
[edit: this is sarcasm]
[edit: this is sarcasm]
clwolters's review against another edition
1.0
The Story of Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman which was first published in 1899. The overall issue of this text is racism. The story depicts a boy named Sambo, his family members, and a day in his life. The illustrations are simple, offensive, and juvenile. They do not resemble illustrations in picture books today, which are detailed and well done. Bannerman’s illustrations focus on stereotypes and may rub the reader the wrong way. The plot of this story is repetitive, illogical, and boring. Usually children’s book stories tell a fascinating tale that leaves the reader with a moral or big takeaway. Instead, the reader feels bad for Sambo since all his clothes are taken by a tiger. Even the name of our main character is upsetting. Why does “Little Black” need to precede Sambo? Why can’t Sambo just go by Sambo? This confounding nickname is the title of the book, setting the scene for a problematic tale. Nowadays we do not point out someone’s nationality or race when referring to them, we just call someone by their name (or what they wish to go by). Lastly there is some unnecessary violence in this story that is not appropriate for children and does not add anything to the plot.
lectrice_vorace's review against another edition
3.0
I read this book after seeing it on the banned list. I'm glad the text and illustrations have undergone revisions.